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Substitute Emile Heskey rescued a point for Aston Villa in a 1-1 Premier League draw against Burnley in driving rain at Turf Moor.

Steven Caldwell gave the hosts a ninth-minute lead with a towering header from Robbie Blake's free-kick as Owen Coyle's side looked set for another scalp at home.

But Heskey rose above two Burnley defenders in the 86th minute to salvage a draw for his side in torrential weather conditions as the visitors jumped into fourth place in the table.

The rain teemed down throughout as both sides struggled to create clear-cut chances in conditions not remotely conducive to good football, and the two goals mustered were scrappy.

The hosts started quickly to keep Villa firmly under the cosh and Caldwell capitalised on some lax marking to convert Blake's pinpoint delivery in the only real opportunity in the opening passage of play.

Blake showed terrific poise out on the left for Burnley to beat Young and find Fletcher at the back post, but his header sailed over the bar on the half-hour as the hosts continued to threaten.

Nine minutes later, Young had a glorious chance of his own as an exquisite through ball from Milner found Agbonlahor and Jensen inexplicably raced out of his goal to challenge for the loose ball as it broke out to Young. The winger was faced with an open goal, bar the retreating Tyrone Mears and Clarke Carlisle, but he blazed his shot over.

Warnock drove in a low corner from the right straight after half-time which Clarke Carlisle inadvertently handled inside the Burnley box, but Carlos Cuellar's appeals were quickly dismissed.

Another good opportunity arose for Villa when Young whipped in a devilish delivery from a corner out on the left but Richard Dunne and John Carew could not contrive to convert the chance from close-range among a pile of bodies.

A minute later, Gabriel Agbonlahor streaked clear of Caldwell and was about to confront on the onrushing Jensen, before Stephen Jordan nipped in with an immaculate clearance to deny the forward.

The second half continued to be a scrappy affair as both managers freshened up their forward lines, including O'Neill adding Heskey to his attack in the 80th minute.

Burnley defended obdurately to preserve their slender lead until the England striker, six minutes after coming on, clambered above Jordan to head past Jensen for the equaliser.

The draw ensured that Villa moved above Tottenham into fourth place, albeit having played a game more, while Coyle's side rise to ninth ahead of Stoke.

Dan Quarrell / Eurosport